A Rose for Every Wrong
by pensive puddles
Summary: To Hermione and Draco, Valentine's Day was the most horrid day of the year. And the question on both of their lips was if they both would make it through the next two days in one piece? Trust me, it's a lot better than it sounds...
1. Kisses and Wishes

Disclaimer: Six easy little words that every author has memorized: I do not own Harry Potter

Couple: Hermione and Draco

Note: Still craving those Valentine's Day fics? I wrote this in March for a Valentine's Day Thingy. Enjoy…

Author: **Pensive Puddles **

A Rose for Every Wrong Two days before Valentine's Day: Kisses and Wishes 

"Hermione! Hermione! Will you wake up, you lazy girl!" a shrill, voice called through the painting.

"Dear, I'd advise you to answer this red head's call. Her voice is starting to grate my nerves…" the picture warned Hermione sleepily. Hermione grumbled under her breath and slowly rolled out of bed. Walking with unsteady feet, she stumbled to the door and opened it so the girl could come inside.

"You'll never believe what I got!" exclaimed a hyper red-head. Her blue eyes were glowed with mirth and her red curls bounced happy against her face. She looked so happy, way to happy in Hermione's opinion…

"What is it, Ginny? In case you haven't noticed, I was sleeping," Hermione yawned, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She was so tempted just to let her eyes close again…just for a couple seconds…

"Look! This is the third one this week!" The girl bounced on the balls of her feet happily, trying to control her excitement. Hermione grabbed the letter and held it in her hands. She had to admit; the boy (hopefully) who had given Ginny the valentine card did have talent. It was a simple, classic red heart, and had words written in glittery letters. The thing that made it unique, however, was the fact that it had wings protruding from either side. The card's white, feathery wings started to flap and wiggle its way out of Hermione's grip. Finally freeing itself, it flew to Ginny and circle her head, all the while showering her with little confetti hearts and stars. Very cute indeed…

Hermione smiled at the girl's ecstatic expression. She silently envied her, but she pushed those thoughts aside. Hermione Granger had no room or time in her life for a boyfriend. Pulling the starry eyed girl back into the present, Hermione asked, "Whose it from?"

"From the same guy, I think. It's always signed, 'Your Secret Admirer'. He's been doing this for three days now! I really wish I knew who he was," she sighed, blowing a couple red curls away from her face and flopped down onto a common room chair, a pondering look wrinkling her brow.

"Well, Gin, at least you have one. Now get out of here! You're card is getting my Common Room all messy!" Hermione gave her a teasing smile and shooed Ginny and her flying Valentine out of the room. Closing the door, she turned and made her way to the Head Girl Bathroom. She sighed, getting herself together by taking her daily, hot shower. Luckily, the Head Boy was already gone; thus she could do whatever she wanted. She took her time, not entirely eager to visit the candy colored halls of Hogwarts.

If there was one holiday Hermione Granger did not like, it was Valentine's Day. She didn't despise it; she just preferred any other holiday. She could already taste the sickening sweet sweets that were to be laid out in front of the students on the Valentine's Day feast. She could already hear the shrieking girls as they opened countless after countless of envelopes from secret admirers. She could already imagine couples holding hands in the hallway and kissing in broom closest, which of course, she would have to punish. That was one good thing about this holiday. A smirk formed on her lips as she stepped out of the shower and started to blow dry her hair.

Hermione walked into the Great Hall and scouted for her two friends. Spotting them amongst a crowd of females ranging of all ages, she marched towards them. Ignoring the irritated glares girls threw at her, she made her way through the female infested place and coughed extremely loud behind her two male friends. They turned around, smiled and immediately separated, giving her the seat in-between them.

"Morning, Hermione!" Ron told her, giving her a quick hug. A pretty blond who asked him to pass her the jam soon distracted him. Hermione rolled her eyes in disgust. That girl didn't even have to stretch her arm out to reach the jar! There was no reason why Ron had to pass it to her, or any reason for her hand to 'accidentally' brush against his. Why didn't she just grab him and snog him while she was at it?

It's not as if Hermione had any special feelings toward Ron. He was like a dear brother to her, and the thought of them getting intimately close was repulsive. She was just looking out for the well being of her uncontrollable friend, as well as the messy haired, green-eyed boy.

Speaking of which, she heard him chuckle next to her and she turned to glare at him. "What's so funny?"

"You," Harry snickered. "You're like Molly Weasley! My goodness, Herm! Let him be a boy!"

"Yeah, and if I did, who knows what the heck he'd do," Hermione mumbled as she shoved a piece of toast into her mouth. She looked at the food in front of her. Something just had to resemble a heart or cupid in same shape or form. This year had been Dumbledore's way of trying to cheer the students up and getting their mind off the war. According to most of the student congregation, it was working.

Harry snorted and continued to eat his heart shaped stack of pancakes. He knew it was pointless to argue with her. No one but she won. A bell sounded over their heads and the trio got up, packing their books away. Hermione shot glares at any girl who tried to linger and get either of her two friends' attention. Valentine's Day wasn't for two days, and it seemed that the whole female population wanted to snag a guy before the Ball.

She sighed at the thought. Another one of Dumbledore's 'brilliant' ideas; she, along with the Head Boy, prefects and staff, had decided it would be a couples' ball, thus meaning students were supposed to come as a couple from a story. It wasn't required, but it was "strongly" urged.

"Try not to be so grumpy today, 'Mione," Ron advised. "Who knows? Maybe you'll finally snag one for this ball thing."

"Ron, if you value your measly life, I'd seriously advise you to shut your mouth and run down the hall opposite of me," Hermione growled under her breath.

Ron gulped nervously and lifted his hands in surrender, "I was just kidding, Hermione! No need to get all pissed off about it." He causally leaned over and whispered in Harry's ear, "It's gotta be near that time of the month."

Harry shook his head and stated, "Not for another two weeks."

They turned to look at their female friend, who had her mouth hanging open, eyes wide. They knew that? But how…?

"We're not that stupid, 'Mione," Ron replied to her unspoken question, rolling his eyes.

"I…you…see you next period I mean, class!" Hermione blushed furiously and quickly sped down the hall.

"What's her problem? It's not something new. I mean, it's been happening for, what, three years?" Ron asked Harry.

"Two and a half to be exact."

"Good memory, my dear friend!" Ron clapped him on the back. Harry shrugged and watched Hermione disappear in the crowds.

Hermione, slowly getting over the embarrassing fact that her two best guy friends new something about her that she wished to keep secret, felt slightly touched that her friends actually paid attention to her, and then unnerved. Since when did Harry and Ron know her so well? She shook her head, smiled and raced off to class…another day of learning would soon begin…

* * *

The wind was slightly windy, teasing the leaves of the trees as it made its way through the grounds of Hogwarts. A boy, who sat under one of the trees, pulled his green cloak closer to his body, trying to get some protection against the wind. The sensible thing would have been to go inside and relax in front of the fire, or play a game of Exploding Snap, just as long as he was inside. Yet inside was the last place he wanted to be.

He could already imagine the pink and red decorations, the banners and posters announcing the Valentine's Day Ball. He could already taste the disgustingly sweet cookies and candy that would decorate the table once the healthy food was eaten. He could already imagine the younger girls' vulture-like eyes gaping hungrily at him.

No, he wasn't exaggerating. He was handsome, beautiful as some liked to put it. He had striking gray eyes that were cold and menacing. Blond hair that hung down just below his ears and bangs that would gracefully cover those gorgeous eyes. He continuously would move them out of his vision. Some questioned why he didn't trim them, and the answer was that it would take a small part of his radiance away. He resembled his father in many ways, in expressions (which were few) and manner. The only thing that resembled his mother was the way his smiled, if he smiled. Not many people had been blessed in seeing the boy do anything but smirk. But he was what his parents were: cold and manipulating.

"Draco! What the hell are you doing out there?" A very obnoxious voice yelled at him. He glanced away from the lake and at the girl who stomped towards him. He took his time letting his eyes run up and down her body. She was a sight to behold.

A girl of only seventeen, she looked nothing like the girl he knew from childhood. Growing out of her pug face stage and passing the acne years, she had grown into a very, very pretty woman. Her long, straight brunet hair reached to her shoulders and was layered, giving her hair a fuller, volumenized look. She had smooth, creamy skin and a figure that had caught the eye of the whole male population of Hogwarts. She always was the attention grabber.

"It's freezing! And the bell already rang. I don't want to be put in detention by that pinched face McGonagall just because of you," she badgered and continued to approach him. He closed his eyes again and waited for her. "Draco? Answer me!"

"What the hell do you want, Parkinson?" Draco drawled with his eyes still closed.

"How long have you been out here, Malfoy?" she demanded, more than asked. Draco opened his eyes, taking in her ordering appearance. His eyes traveled up her body, stopping at certain points and continued its ascend up. His gray eyes settled on her face, taking in her seductive red lips and green eyes. She wore colored contacts now and changed them from green to blue to brown. Most of the school couldn't remember what her natural eye color was except Draco. He liked her natural brown eyes, and in telling her so, she usually flaunted her brown eyes for him, although she did prefer green. _Females are always so predictable…especially Slytherin ones…_he smirked inwardly.

"Well?" she started tapping her foot in an impatient gesture.

"Parkinson, when the hell will you get it through your pretty head that I do not need annoying girls like you to tell me what to do? I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Then how come you're practically frozen? What, are you deliberately trying to freeze to death?"

"I would have succeed if you had not unfortunately come," he said in a serious voice. Pansy looked down at him, a confused expression on her face. "Now get the hell away from me. I'll come in when I'm ready. Tell the Professor's that I didn't feel too well. Tell them I ran off and joined the circus. Tell them whatever the hell you want."

Pansy remained unmoving from her spot. She just continued to stare down at him. "Parkinson, I'd advise you to go inside, or you'll be late. And close your mouth. It's very unbecoming of a girl with her trap hanging open."

Pansy snapped her mouth shut, glared, turned on her heel and marched quickly into the school, all the while sending venomous (but twisted longing) looks over her shoulder at the Greek god who laid under the trees.

"Finally…" Draco sighed and titled his head back, his eyes still closed. He listened to the sounds of the wind, how it tickled the trees and how the trees laughed. He listened as he heard teachers yell at students who didn't complete their homework, or were not paying attention ("Probably to busy writing love notes," he sneered).

He sighed. It was so peaceful, so quiet outside. How peculiar it seemed that in only a few short hours would the cold grass be encumbered with the bodies of laughing children of all ages. He sighed. She'd be in Professor Binn's class at this moment.

Merlin! Why was he thinking of her again? Hadn't he promised himself he'd stop after Christmas? Looked as if that vow didn't come through. He huffed with disgust at himself. "Why can't you leave me alone?" he demanded the silent angel.

_Great…now I'm talking to myself…just great, Draco_, he scolded himself. He opened his eyes, looking at the glassy water of the lake. It was so perfect, so calm. It was a shame to think that waves would ruin that mirror-like appearance sometime soon. He missed the winter. He longed for the days where he would sit under this exact tree, a scarf pulled up around his mouth and he'd watch as snow would fall and shadows would play against the windows. He missed how he would watch her walk among the frozen grounds.

She always carried herself with a certain grace. It was a talent that not many girls, or many Pureblood ladies at that, could master. Her long coat that would flow to her ankles would swish around her with each step she took, giving off an impression of a lady from the 1800s. Her bright scarf would cover her delicate, gentle mouth, and still reveal her warm amber eyes. She never wore a hat, thus never covering her bushy hair.

Strangely enough, he had grown found of that hair. It was the way that she never cared about herself as much as the other girls cared about their appearance. It was the way in which she was always humble and never tired to purposefully step out of bounds when it came to dressing. It was the way that she was so different that intrigued him so.

She wasn't dashing, stunning, beautiful or even pretty. She was just average. But only to the common male eye because to him, he saw someone different. He didn't see a bookworm. He didn't see a sidekick for two boys. He didn't see a Head Girl or anyone of great importance. He saw what was inside. It was talent he had picked up during his younger years.

She was average, true. But she was more than average to him. It wasn't her beauty that first attracted his attention to her that sparked his interest. It was the mere fact how she was so devoted to everything but herself. She was always there to lend a shoulder to cry on. She always was willing to give comforting advice. She may not be as stunning as Pansy Parkinson, but at least this girl could be someone you would never tire of unlike the Slytherin Princess.

Draco wasn't in love with this girl. He was just purely fascinated. He liked the way she walked and talked. He liked the way her name rolled and twisted on tongue, how whenever he thought of her, he felt warm and comforted inside. Whenever he thought of her warm, melting eyes, he himself wanted to dive in them and bask in their tenderness. He liked how he seemed to come alive, alive with feeling whenever her thought, smelt or saw her.

He never knew how to love, never knew what love felt like. Sure, he had seen movies of some sort that referred to love. But to him, love was a myth. He didn't come from a family of abusers. He just came from a family where the parents just gave him whatever her wished. They never praised him for everything, and never glowed in pride at their son for winning a Quidditch match. He couldn't remember one time where his mother smiled down at him in love, just plain love. He had seen it on other parents' faces before, could feel it radiating from them when they bade their children farewell. His parents may show affection toward their son in public. But to Draco, it was all a show. It was nothing serious. And he, being the actor that he was, would smile and pretend to love his mother and father just like they pretended to love him. The only pride that glowed on his fathers face, would be anything Draco did to please the Dark Lord.

But Draco wasn't complaining. Seventeen years had trained him to not expect love in a world that didn't share it. He was born with what he got. He shouldn't expect anything else. Although, there were times where he envied it. He sometimes would imagine himself with a family who loved him. Hell, he had even imagined himself with a mother like Molly Weasley! He chuckled. He could imagine the appalled and completely shocked face of Weasel if he knew what Draco was thinking. He wondered if she had a family who loved her…

Of course she did. She was perfect. How could anyone not love a girl like her was beyond understanding. What a preposterous question! Who wouldn't love her? She was smart, Head Girl, creative, perfect…

Draco blushed. To think that he, Draco Malfoy, was thinking of a Mudblood like her! And actually thinking she was perfect! Next thing he'd know, he'd be saying she was drop-dead gorgeous! He laughed a hollow, cold laugh and buried himself deeper into his Slytherin cloak. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. Stress from school, Quidditch finals, N.E.W.T.s and parents were straining him physically and mentally. He felt so peaceful in the Hogwarts atmosphere. _I'll miss this place, somehow…_he thought to himself sadly. To think that soon he'd be leaving the Golden Trio behind him. It was a happy thought, minus one thing. The girl he had grown slightly (mentally if possible) attached to, would be leaving him as well. That was what saddened him the most.

He closed his eyes. His eyes moaned in pleasure at the sweet bliss of darkness. He breathed in deeply; the air that left formed a huge, vapor cloud. Shaking for just a moment, he curled under the tree and let his mind wander to a life where he'd have a girl with chestnut brown hair, and warm amber eyes. If he could live his life with one person forever, he'd live with her.

The last thing that left his lips before he escaped into the darkness within was a name he had said many times before, "Hermione…"

* * *

Hermione sighed and meandered to the school library. Walking though the doors, she looked for an empty table and sat down. Pulling out her favorite quill that Harry and Ron had given her for Christmas, she took out a clean piece of parchment and began to write her essay on the uses and makings of Polyjuice Potion. She smirked at how she was one step ahead of Snape.

An hour later, she sat back, two out of the three essays done and rolled neatly in her bag. She looked around the room and sighed. How many more times would she be able to sit in the library and do homework? She was truly going to miss it. There was something so magical, so grabbing in Hogwarts that it made a person regret leaving it. She sighed again. Standing up, she decided that she needed to walk and stretch her legs.

Picking her stuff up, she slung her bag over her shoulder and lazily walked down the halls, looking down at the floor and lost in her thoughts. Only two more days to go before Valentine's Day was upon them. Saturday was going to be busy. A Hogsmead trip was scheduled from the morning till eight o'clock and then the Valentine's Day Ball would start at nine. Maybe she'd skip the trip and ball…she would have the Prefect's Bathroom all to herself.

_Thump!_ "Ouch!" _Smack!_ "Watch it!" two voices cried at the same time. Hermione looked at the other person on the floor as she picked up her scrolls that had fallen out of her bag. "I'm sorry! I didn't Malfoy!"

Her apology was cut off when she noticed his steal gray eyes staring at her. He didn't glare, didn't smirk or sneer. He just looked at her, as if seeing her for the first time and it unnerved her. She searched her bag for the third scroll, which was missing. Looking around for it, she spotted it and moved towards it, but Draco was far ahead of her. He picked it up and handed it to her.

She gave him a quizzical look and asked, "What? No name calling today?"

His eyes turned cold and he glared. Hermione regretted seeing his soft expression change. "Thought you wanted a break from it, Mudblood. Personally, I'm not in the mood to bicker with filth like you, but if you really insist…"

"Ferret Boy, not in the mood to bicker with me? Good Merlin! The world has definitely come to an end," she said sarcastically.

"Granger, just give it a rest. I don't need this today," he said in a low, exasperated voice and held out the scroll again for her to take it. After glancing at him for just a moment, she took the scroll and breathed in sharply when their hands touched each other.

"Merlin, Malfoy! You're freezing!" she exclaimed, grabbing his ice-cold hand. Taking out her wand, she muttered a warming spell and watched the blue receded from his nails. "Weren't you inside? Didn't you go to class?"

"I was outside all morning," he said calmly.

"That's not setting up a good example for the younger students, Malfoy. You're the Head Boy; you're job is to encourage students to go to class," she lectured. She looked up at him and was slightly startled. He had just been staring at her all the while that they had talked. Looking into his eyes, she admired how gorgeous they were, definitely the envy of all males and females in Hogwarts.

"Well…I…um…you need to go to class, Malfoy," she warned in a deflated voice. She felt really stupid, especially when she noticed she was still holding his hand that no longer was cold. Dropping it quickly, she turned around and walked away, already imagining his face twisted into its regular smirk.

As she sat in her chair in the next class, she couldn't help but think about his eyes and why he was being so…so civil. It was extremely un-Malfoy like that it was aggravating. She mentally slapped herself and forced herself to pay attention again to the Professor. A few moments later, her mind was back on the gray-eyed boy. Little did she know that that same boy was thinking of her as well.

* * *

Ginny walked down the hall. It had been a long day so far and her mind was hurting with guesses about who her secret admirer could be. She couldn't recall how many times her head had turned wondering if that guy was the one. She silently dreaded if it was someone like Neville not that Neville wasn't nice, but being the wishful girl that she was, she was hoping that it was someone at least handsome and charming.

Humming a tune from a Muggle band Hermione had introduced her to, she walked calmly down the hall, imagining what her dream secret admirer would look like. Something reached out and grabbed her wrist. Startled, she gasped and turned around to look into startling green eyes.

"What do you want?" she asked, slightly excited due to the adrenaline rush that coursed through her. The boy placed a finger against her lips and gently brought his head down. It was like she was under a spell, pardon the pun, when he touched her and smiled at her. Ginny closed her eyes slowly, her face blushing as his warm breath blew against her cheek. _This is it…my first kiss…_she thought silently to herself as his warm lips pressed against hers. It felt right, as if it was destined for them to kiss that day. And she just went along with it.

His arms were placed around her waist and she placed hers on his shoulders, slowly wrapping them around his neck. He was a gentle kisser, so unlike what she expected. As they pulled away from each other, blue eyes gazed into green and they smiled. "You're my secret admirer, I presume?"

He nodded and leaned down to kiss her again. She smiled as she kissed him. "Mother of Merlin, Blasie!" A voice exclaimed.

The two pulled away and looked at the group that filled up one end of the hall. All the observers were shocked; Gryffindors and Slytherins wore appalled faces.

They were trapped.

* * *

**A/N**: AHA! Cliffy! I just love doing that to you guys…

First chapter out of three! Be kind and review, will you?

Man, I'm editing this story, trying to smooth out all the wrinkles…it's so weird reading something you've written two years before. It just shows how much you've changed in your writing style…


	2. Of Fists and Men

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry…if I did, I would have Hermione and Draco get together, unlike J.K. Rowling…:huffs angrily at the actual author's decision:

Couple: Draco and Hermione

Author: **Pensive Puddles**

A Rose for Every Wrong Day Two: Of Fists and Men 

Draco walked down the hall, his mind replaying the incident he had shared with Hermione. He smiled at remembering how her face turned that cute shade of pink.

"GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF MY SISTER!" a deep bellow echoed down the hall. Getting his head out of the clouds, Draco looked around, trying to decipher where the sound was coming from. He strained his ears, and raced to where the noise was coming from. It sounded like a fight, and Draco always enjoyed the entertainment of a dramatic fight.

Running up behind a group of people, Draco shoved his way through and saw the last thing he expected to see. Ron Weasley was kneeling over Blaise, punching him repeatedly in the face. A girl screamed for him to stop and Draco noticed Ginny in the corner, tears falling from her eyes. Suddenly, Draco heard Hermione's disapproving voice nag at him in the back of his head, "Draco! One of your responsibilities as Head Boy at Hogwarts is to keep the peace! Separate the two and deduct points, NOW!"

Sighing and silently cursing the girl for ruining his fun, Draco lifted his wand; thinking of a spell to separate the two when out of nowhere a fist collided into his face. Draco fell back into the crowd and looked up. An angry Harry glared down at him. Draco gave a wicked smirk that caused Harry to falter for just a second. _It's been awhile since I've had a good old fist fight…_Pocketing his wand, he dove towards Harry, trapping them into the fight as well. Harry, Draco, Ron and Blaise rolled on the hard ground, bleeding and injured, yet never stopping to take a breath; they were too caught up in their own fight. Fist and legs flung around like a storm. The Slytherins, seeing one of their highest peer fighting against their arch rival, joined in the fight, causing the Gryffindors to jump in to help their most important peer. Some Ravenclaws tried to separate the two houses and were pulled into the fight, thus getting their house involved. A couple Hufflepuffs ran for help while some tried to negotiate, and the neutrals stayed on the side and cheered the houses on, silently taking bets.

Draco swung his fist and broke the bridge of Harry's glasses. While Harry was down, Draco went and tried to look for Blaise. Blaise had become a friend to him during the previous year and so he felt it was only right to find him. Besides, Blaise wasn't that good of a fighter. Finding him, he reached forward and tried to pull Ron off of him. Harry tackled Draco to the ground again, slamming them both painfully into a wall near by. Draco heard a sickening crunch but he ignored the pain. Anger filled his body. Too long had he put up with 'Perfect Potter'. Now that he had his chance, Draco wasn't going to make this fight easy for Harry. Draco glared at him, receiving another punch in the face. Kicking Harry in the side, Draco tripped him to the ground, and kneeled over him, keeping Harry down with his weight. Now having the upper hand, Draco smirked and started to punch Harry repeatedly in the face. _That scar on your forehead won't be the only one now!_ Draco vowed as Harry grunted at another hard hit.

A loud boom erupted in the hall and the students flew apart from each other. They looked at the livid Professors standing sternly before them. Each Professors face was red in fury. But the one person that scared them and made them feel ashamed of themselves the most was Dumbledore. The usual bright twinkle wasn't in his eyes. Instead, they were hard and looked disappointed. The students held their heads in shame.

"I'm deeply disappointed in all of you. I thought, _especially _the seventh and sixth years were old enough to realize how immature this is! Everyone who is injured, report yourselves to Madam Pomfrey. I will think of a punishment for this atrocious behavior later," Dumbledore ordered and began to help students to their feet.

Everyone got up, some holding their aching body parts or bloody faces and walked to the Hospital Wing. Draco stepped lightly aside and hid in the shadows. Waiting for the others to pass, he walked out and down to his room. Crawling inside, he collapsed on the couch and laid down, closing his eyes. It seemed so much harder to breathe. Every time he took in a breath, pain shot through him. Breathing unevenly, he rubbed the spot under his eyes and winced. Potter had a good left hook. And then the pain swept over him, pulling him into darkness.

* * *

Hermione wanted to take a nap during lunch. She wasn't entirely hungry. She hadn't slept well the night before anyway. Going to her room, she told the portrait the password ("Fungus Weed!") and cast her school belongings aside. She went to the couch, not really looking to see if the couch was being occupied at that moment.

"Omph!" a painful groan was made. Hermione jumped up, startled at what she had laid on. "Oh my God! Draco!"

Draco Malfoy looked up at her, a blue bruise forming under his left eye and blood trickling from a cut on his lip. A gash covered his right eyebrow, and his knuckles were raw. He breathed unsteadily but didn't bother to speak. He just looked at her and closed his eyes again.

"Draco…what happened?" she asked, taking out her wand.

"Got…into a fight…" he gasped, as if each word caused him pain.

"Why are you breathing so funny?" she demanded while looking in their private library. Searching among the rows, she found a healing book (_Cures to save your life and more!)_ and flipped through the index. Finding what she was looking for, she began to heal his hand and face.

"I don't…know," he said in a short breath.

"Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere…" he moaned painfully.

"Be a little more specific, please!" she demanded, flipping frantically between pages.

"Chest…" he closed his eyes. The bruise was fading away slowly and the cut was healing away. She unbuttoned his school uniform shirt and touched his ribs. He gasped painfully, his hand bunching into a fist.

"You broke a rib, maybe two," she observed. Looking at the book, she instructed, "Take off your shirt. I have to see which ribs."

Draco, too pained to make any comment, moved to pull his shirt off, but was making a pitiful and painful display of it. A wave of sympathy fell over Hermione and she helped him. Draco's eyes were closed so he didn't notice Hermione looking at his chest. _Wow…_she thought.

Draco wasn't too muscular, but he did have the right stuff. He had a nicely shaped body that she knew neither Ron nor Harry had. Wow was not the only word she was thinking of at that moment. Draco gave muffled cry and held onto the first thing his fingers felt, which was her school shirt. He glared at her in pain and yelled, "If you're going to help me, do it quickly, damn it!"

Panicked, she set the book besides her and read the instructions. Feeling confident after reading it for the third time, she looked at Draco, whose face was beaded with sweat. A lock of hair was matted against his forehead and she gently moved it aside. "This may hurt for a second," she warned.

Placing her wand above the ribs that were broken, she took in a calm, deep breath and muttered the charm. Draco grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly, making her wince in pain. He arched his back in pain and pressed his lips together to keep the yell from escaping his lips. Falling back, he breathed quickly and opened his eyes. He looked up at her and sighed, "Thank you, Hermione."

Hermione took in a quick breath. He had never used her first name before. And she blushed at how she thought it sounded so pretty when he said it. She brushed another strand of hair away from his face and felt him let her hand go limply. At first she panicked, thinking she had killed him. But when his chest rose, she pushed the thought aside. Getting up, she took a blanket that was lying near by, and gently covered him in it, just like the book advised her to.

Putting the book back into its place, she went to her room to take a small nap. She took one look at the boy on the couch and whispered, "You're welcome, Draco." And closed the door.

She didn't see the small smile on his face.

* * *

It was a short nap, timed exactly so she was ready for the next class. She woke up five minuets earlier to check up on Draco. Looking over at the couch, she only saw his cloak that he always wore. She checked the bathroom, and even went to see if he was in his room but found nothing. Silently, she hoped he was fine and she left to class, her bags packed with her school belongings.

As she treaded down to the dudgeons for Professor Snape's potion class, she silently thought of the blond haired boy. Somewhere in her gut, warmth spread through her body and she blushed as she caught herself smiling dumbly at the memory of Draco's sweet expression while he slept. He looked so innocent, so unlike the mean Draco she and her two friends had grown up with.

Entering the dreary classroom early, she found her table and looked around. It was nearly empty and she wondered why so few students came to class. There were only a small number of Slytherins and barley any Gryfinndors. She couldn't believe that after six years she was still sharing potion class with the Slytherins. It was quite clear that letting the two houses have no classes together would have been too kind.

She looked quickly down at her notes on the previous day's potions as Draco walked in. She glanced at him when he walked by. Hermione noticed how every single female eye, as well as a couple male, turned to look at the Slytherin god who trudged his way to his usual spot in the corner. Hermione could have sworn she had seen drool fall from one of the girls' mouths. Hermione looked at her disapprovingly. Sure, he was gorgeous, but she didn't have to drool over him… Sometimes, Hermione hated her species. Draco didn't seem phased by it. All traces of his disfigurement had disappeared (thanks to Hermione) and he didn't even act different at all . She looked over her shoulder at him, trying to see something that told her what had happened in the Head Room wasn't all a figment of her imagination.

Draco must have felt her gaze because his pale eyes flickered up to met hers, sending the warm feeling through her gut again. She bit the inside of her lip and continued to stare back at him. He didn't break the stare. His silver eyes were dull with boreddom and he raised his eyebrow after a moment as if saying 'What?'

She looked away and could feel his eyes twinkle in amusement. She scowled. She hated when he got the best of her. Luckily, the Professor came into class. He scanned the class, noted how few students had showed up and shook his head. Hermione, surprised that he hadn't deducted 100 points from Gryffindor because Harry hadn't attended class, sat bewildered as he just ordered them to start on their potion class work.

Hermione chopped her dragon claws silently, pondering why both Harry and Ron hadn't come to class. Even Neville hadn't showed up! She didn't realize how pensive she was until she looked at her potion, her face falling as she noticed her potion a sickening green instead of the navy blue it was supposed to be. Looking around, she was relieved to see Snape picking on a Gryffindor on the other side of the room. Panicked, she tried to get her potion back to its original color.

"Add more Bikar Grass," a voice whispered to her. She gave the speaker a startled look. Draco didn't do anything else, but stared and returned to his potion that was the right color. She contemplated if he was telling the truth but Snape was getting closer to her potion. What did she have to loose? She grabbed a few blades of Bikar Grass and dropped them into the bubbling concoction. Instantly, a small puff of smoke went up and her potion color matched that of Draco's, which was the correct color of blue. Snape walked over, examined her potion, and gave a scowl at the fact that he couldn't find anything wrong with it. He stormed over to the next victim and began to yell at how his potion was a shade too dark.

Hermione looked up at Draco and smiled. He didn't return it and just lazily returned to his potion. Hermione looked down at her potion and scooped it into a jar to be examined by Snape. Her cheeks turned a slight pink. What was wrong with her? She had healed his broken bones, taken advice from him, and had smiled at him. Had someone slipped a love potion into her drink when she wasn't looking? She grimaced at the thought.

A sudden fear gripped her heart. Was that why her heart beat a little faster every time she looked at him and caught him looking at her? Was this the answer why a warm feeling spread through her like fire whenever she thought of him? She shook her head. Hermione Granger was not in love. She couldn't be in love. A best friend of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley could not be in love with their archenemy of all people! She was incapable of having a boyfriend. She wasn't one of those pretty girls who did. She didn't have the time or the commitment to have one she'd tell herself when her heart ached in jealousy as she watched other girls her age and younger be kissed by their boyfriends. Besides, Harry and Ron would kill him even if she did get one, as if she was _capable_ of getting one…but still…_just stop thinking and spare yourself the torment,_ she scolded. How incredibly stupid to think it!

She faintly heard Snape dismiss the class and she gathered her stuff, cleaning her pot and table. She looked around for Draco. She had a feeling he knew something about Harry and Ron's disappearance. She ran after him in the empty hallway and grabbed his arm. He stiffened and turned.

"Do you know where Harry and Ron are?" she asked, trying hard to avoid his eyes and gazed at the spot in-between his eyes. She couldn't let herself weaken in front of him.

"And why, Granger, would I know where you're idiotic friends are?" he said in a bored, annoyed drawl. The old Draco was back. What she had imagined before was nothing. It probably wasn't even him who told her what to do.

"Because you were injured and I know you had something to do with it. Now tell me, or I'll hex you so bad that girls will run away from your hideous features," she threatened. She took out her wand and pointed it under Draco's chin to make her point clear. If he wasn't going to be nice to her, she might as well not be nice to him.

He eyed her with his stone complexion. The last time they had been in this potion was in third year after he had insulted Hagrid, although last time included a stinging pain in his face. "Try the hospital wing. Practically the whole school got into a little row. That's why there were so few people in class today; they're all there."

He whirled around and disappeared down the hall. Hermione watched as he walked away. How was he able to walked so gracefully? He was like a cat, making no sound with each footstep and appeared to glide across the floor instead of walk.

She turned and made her way down the familiar path of the Hospital Wing, all the while trying to battle the image of Draco out of her head. Finally reaching the hospital wing, she opened the doors and slipped inside. Spotting her two friends, she walked over to them. Each laid in their own bed, an ice pack over some part of their face or body.

Hermione didn't even bother trying to act surprised or annoyed. In a dull, exasperated voice, she demanded, "What'd you two do _this_ time?"

"Hermione, don't make it sound like we did this on purpose," Harry said, taking the ice pack off the right side of his face, revealing a swollen lip and a shiny black eye, a nasty bruise forming along his cheekbone.

"Yeah. We've already been lectured three times: once by Dumbledore, another by McGonagall, and finally by Madam Pomfrey. Besides, it's Zagini's entire fault! If I hadn't come in, who knows what the hell could have happened to Ginny!" Ron looked away, wincing in pain and pressing the ice pack closer to his jaw.

Hermione meant to be merciless, but when seeing them both in absolute agony, a sliver of sympathy warmed her heart. Wanting to hear the full story, she sat herself down on Harry's bed and asked, "What happened?"

"Well, we had just finished class and we were walking down the hall and there was this group of people just standing in the hallway. So we went to investigate and we saw Zabini holding Ginny in his arms as if they had just…had just…" a disgusted look crossed Ron's face as if saying the next words was nauseating.

"Kissed each other…which they had." Ron's faced turned a dark red as Harry spoke the last part. "So Ron, being our favorite, quick-tempered friend, tackled Blaise to the ground, and started punching him, yelling at him to keep his filthy hands off his sister," Harry informed, holding the ice pack over his face again.

"Slimy basterd. I'd hit him again if I could!" he whispered in defiance.

"Ron! Keep your voice down!" Hermione hissed, motioning with her eyes at Madam Pomfrey who was only a few beds down.

"I don't care. He deserved it," Ron mumbled and glared at bed across from him. Hermione followed his eyes and gasped. A poor, bruised and battered boy lay weakly on a white bed, the bruises contrasting darkly against the white sheets. She glared at Ron, and could only say, "Ronald Weasley…!"

"Speaking of basterds, where's Malfoy?" Ron questioned, looking around the room for the blond haired ferret boy.

"He's in class," Hermione told him, while looking at Harry's face again.

"Asshole. I swear…if I see him again…" Harry left the threat hanging.

"What'd did he do?" Hermione asked curiously. How Draco could have gotten so terribly injured in just a schoolboy fight was still a mystery to her.

"He was just being a Malfoy," her red friend snarled darkly. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"He was going to curse Ron while he was fighting Blaise. So I tackled him to the ground. He always ignores the rules of conduct, bloody git. I've never hit that jerk since fifth year, when he made that crack about my mum. This time I got a few good punches," Harry smirked as he remembered. "It felt good."

"Yeah. I think I heard one of his bones break from where I was fighting!" Ron smiled gleefully at imagining Malfoy in pain. Hermione glared but didn't say anything. Instead she changed the subject by saying, "When are you getting back to class? The Hogsmeade trip is tomorrow and so is the Ball. Don't you guys have dates? Why isn't Madam Pomfrey doing anything about these bruises and cuts?"

"We have to get the swelling down. _Supposedly_, she can't do magic on swelled body parts because the spell could backfire and cause even more injury. But I think this is Dumbledore's punishment for us by letting us suffer," Ron added bitterly.

"Well, I personally think you deserve it. Not you Harry, but Ron, you deserve it," she silenced the open mouth, protesting red head by continuing, "You need to learn how to control your temper. It's going to get you into a lot more trouble when you get older."

"You sound just like my mum," he grumbled and immediately looked away to avoid her piercing glare.

"Miss Granger, there are to be no visitors in this room! Now get out!" Madame Pomfrey ordered and started to shove Hermione out of the room. She quickly left, shooting a sympathetic glance at her friends before exiting out of the doors.

* * *

Hermione woke up the next morning. Today was the day. The sickening, most despised holiday of the year for her had come. She scowled. If Ginny came to her door and waved another flashy valentine card in her face again…Hermione didn't want to hurt the fair red head girl, but she did get annoyed at her. Hermione would have to be under a truth potion to admit that she was jealous of the little Weasley girl. And why shouldn't she? She was pretty. She had perfect hair, so unlike her own. She had fair skin, completely acne-free (for now. Silently, Hermione hoped she would hit a sudden acne spurt), and a pretty complexion. Such pretty eyes and adorable smile! And her small body was so evenly proportioned! It was aggravating how a girl could be so attractive. Hermione always felt like one of Hagrid's blast-ended skewrts whenever she was next to Ginny.

Hermione laid in bed, anticipating the girl to be hammering the door with her fists. Nothing was heard. Sighing in relief, she got out of bed and dressed quickly, and made her daily retinue to the breakfast table. She looked dully at the flowers and hearts that decorated the halls and pictures of Hogwarts. With each passing step, she could already smell the sweetness of cakes and tarts that covered the Great Hall's four tables (five, if she included the staff's).

She wasn't alone in the hall. Draco Malfoy was strolling down the same hall as her that led to the Great Hall. She stopped for a second before walking on, trying to look like she hadn't seen him. Her heart started to beat a little faster, aggravating her after realizing it was because of him. She looked up and was inwardly surprised to see him staring at her. She nodded her head in a small greeting in which he surprisingly returned. The moment was so perfect, so relaxing that she smiled to herself inside.

_Thunk! _Hermione reached up behind her head and rubbed at the painful small bump that was now forming on her scalp. Turning around, she glared at the floating culprit.

"Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, This day's a booger, and so are you!" Peeves recited nastily and threw another heart shaped object at her head. She ducked just in time. A chuckle was heard near her and she glared at Draco, who had a small, amused smile on his face. She glared fiercely at him, which caused him to laugh even harder. _Thunk_! Another heart flew and hit its target, right into Draco's temple. Draco staggered a little, clutching his head.

He whirled around, his eyes a light with flames at having the joke placed on him. A small giggle reached his ears and he shot Hermione a glare before turning back to the monster. Hermione spoke up, "You better get lost, Peeves, because I'll get Bloody Baron…"

"That old float doesn't bother me anymore. Besides, I'd like to see even a Slytherin ghost help a Gryffindor anyway," he sneered while chucking another heart. Hermione dodged to the side, jumping into Draco. He automatically put an arm around her waist to keep her steady and held her protectively. Pointing his wand at the irritant, in which he had gotten his name, he muttered a spell. Suddenly, the hearts in Peeves' hands flew from his grasp and started to rain down upon him. Peeves covered his head, and flew quickly out of the range of hearts. However, the hearts raced madly after him. Hermione chuckled as she watched the nuisance cry out in pain as another heart hit him in the head. "Serves the little bugger right," Draco murmured.

Hermione turned to look up at Draco, titling her head back to see him. Since when did Draco get so tall? And strong? He may not have been as buff or broad as Harry, but he was lean and did have muscles. She gave him a small smile, a thank you. And to her delight, he returned it with a small grin. He had an adorable smile, a flash of white teeth and one side pulled up higher than the other. The warm feeling inside her gut spread through her again, making her feel as light as air.

Loud laughter echoed down the hall and instantly they pulled away from each other. Hermione suddenly felt the loss of his touch, and silently longed for him to hold her in his arms once more. She looked over at him to see what he was feeling and was sad to see that he had his cold mask up again, his eyes dull and the beautiful smile replaced with a bored frown. His cloak whirled around his feet elegantly, as he opened the door. He held it open and motioned for her to go inside first. She rewarded him with a grin and stepped inside.

Just as she had predicted, the halls were decorated in pink, red and white. Little cupids flew across the tables, dropping little candy hearts into people's food and drink. Hearts hung in the mid-air, decorating the air. And the charmed ceiling was bright and welcoming. The scenery was so unrealistic that Hermione had to bite back a disgusted frown.

"Sickening, isn't it?" a deep voice asked her. She nodded, understanding now why all the ladies were looking at her correction, Draco, like a starving vulture that had just spotted a recently dead carcass. The voice continued detestably, "And we still have…sixteen more hours to go."

A wry smile touched her lips and she let herself giggle at his comment and left for her table, noticing some of the jealous glares a few of the girls gave her as she parted from the Prince of Slytherin. As she walked down the steps, whispers filled the Great Hall. Hermione tried hard not to blush. The whole Hall couldn't possibly have seen the little episode outside the door, did they? Her two friends were nowhere to be found and she sat down next to Ginny. The younger girl was pale and tired. Concerned, Hermione touched her arm lightly, in which the younger girl jumped. "Hermione!" she said as if relieved that it was only her. She seemed to have been in her own little world.

"Ginny, what's wrong?" she asked.

"What?" the girl asked quickly. "Oh…nothing…just have a lot on my mind."

Hermione looked at her with a cynical eye before turning her attention to the eggs and bacon that appeared magically on her plate. As she ate slowly, Hermione listened to the people around her, trying to understand why the Hall was so noisy today.

"They've been together since the beginning of the school year…"

"I was wondering why he wasn't going for anyone…"

"It was like something out of soap opera! I wish I had had a video camera!"

"What's that?"

"Her brother came in and beat Blaise to a pulp!" _So **that's** what it's about…_Hermione realized, taking in a large spoonful of eggs and continued to listen without as much dread.

"You know why, don't you? It's because that Weasley girl got herself knocked up by Blaise!"

Hermione caught these words and choked on her eggs. Coughing, she spit them out into her napkin and looked at the girl who said it. Thunderstruck, Hermione looked at Ginny with wide eyes. The poor girl had heard the same rumor and looked at Hermione with pleading, sorrowful eyes. Brushing the tears away from her face, Ginny stood to her feet and rushed out of the Hall, all eyes glaring at her.

* * *

Ginny's little feet thundered down the hall, and she stumbled. She ran harder, rounding corners. She didn't know where she was going. Bumping into someone, she fell back at the impact. Looking up with a tear-stained face, she looked up into kind green eyes.

"Oh Blaise!" she cried and flung herself into the boy's opened arms. He hushed her and petted he head. "They're horrible! They said that I'm pregnant and now the whole school thinks that I am! This is so terrible!"

"It's fine, Ginny. We'll get through this together," he comforted calmly. He held her closer and kissed her head. Ginny looked up at him, a smile on her face and she whispered, "What would I do without you?"

He smiled in return and leaned down to capture her lips with his. As they parted, he gave her one last good bye and left without a sound. Ginny watched him disappear into the shadows of the halls. A small, unsure voice called out, "Ginny…?"

Ginny turned and looked at Hermione. She looked at the older girl. "What do you think? Do you believe the rumors?"

"I'm you're friend. I think you would have told me if you were pregnant or not. Besides, I know what it feels like to have lies spread about you. I had the whole wizard community knowing of my 'Love Triangle with Victor Krum and The-Boy-Who-Lived,'" Hermione said, frowning at the abominable memories.

"How could I forget? All those horrible curses people sent you…" Ginny tried to suppress a smile but gave up. Hermione smiled with her. Hermione continued, "I don't believe it, Ginny. Besides, if you truly love Blaise and he loves you too, then I'm fine with it. Just don't let him break you're heart in the end if this doesn't work out."

Ginny hugged Hermione and murmured, "Thanks for being so understanding and such a good friend!"

Hermione nodded, slightly blushing at her words.

* * *

Hermione raced down the streets of Hogsmeade. _Why did they have to pick such a secluded place that practically **no one** has heard of?_ She complained to herself. Turning another corner and another, she noticed how few people occupied the area and she slowed down her dash to a quick walk before finally coming to a stop. "Just great, Hermione. You had to get yourself lost, didn't you?" she sighed unhappily and looked around. All the books she had bought where straining her arm and she switched the bag to the other arm.

"Harry and Ron are going to kill me…" she commented to herself. She found herself in an isolated place with very few buildings and very few people. She turned around in circles, looking for some kind of life or clue to lead her back to civilization. Seeing a person, she walked up to him and touched his shoulder. "Excuse me! Could you help me…?" she trailed off as the person turned around.

Draco looked down at her, his distant eyes suddenly filled with curiosity. He continued to look down at her and she looked up at him, incapable of tearing her gaze from her gray eyes. They were so cold, devoid of life it seemed.

"What do you want, Granger?" he demanded, his voice cold. Taken back for a second, she said, "I was just trying to figure out how to get back into Hogsmeade."

A pleased smirk formed on Draco's face as he said, "Did Perfect, know-it-all, Mudblood Granger get herself _lost_?"

"What about you, ferret boy? Just talking a stroll in the middle of no-where with your broom?" she demanded, her own smirk forming on her face at seeing him glance away. She got him.

"There's a broom repair store out here. I needed to get my broom repaired," he said and turned to glare at her. She glanced down at his broom. She knew a lot about brooms thanks to Harry and Ron and knew that his Lightening Strike 3000 was in perfect condition. She smirked even wider at finding him lying.

"What? The twigs are in perfect order, the handle polished…be honest, Malfoy, you were meeting someone to teach you how to properly use a broomstick and catch a snitch. Maybe then you'd actually _win_ a game for your house…however _highly_ unlikely," she mocked. She only smiled triumphantly as he glared at her in pure loathing. He stopped, composed himself and snapped, "And what are you doing out here? Potter and Weasel dumped you for some pretty girls?"

Hermione, taken back by his comment, glared, knowing he was semi-correct. " Deserted you? Didn't they?" he continued, "Average Granger couldn't keep up with the other girls, could she?"

"Back off, Malfoy," she growled. "At least I have friends."

"Correction: At least you _had_ friends. I've noticed you, Granger, don't think I haven't. I've seen how they talk to any pretty face and ignore you, even when you're talking directly to them. I've noticed how it's only now and then that you guys are laughing and having a good time together. It's not Potter, Wealsey and Granger anymore. It's Potter, Weasley and two dumb air heads, and Granger is left all alone with her books." Draco smirked victoriously and watched, as her eyes became glossy with tears.

"Leave me alone, Malfoy," she whispered and walked off. He was so close…so very close to the truth.

He let out a sharp bark, and called after her, "Struck a nerve, did I Granger? If I was the one who noticed, how many other people do you think know that the Golden Trio is breaking up? Soon you'll be completely alone, Granger. Even the Weasley girl will desert you when Potter and Weasley leave you for good. She's only there to get noticed by others. Don't expect a pretty face to know anything. I should know."

She stormed off, blinking quickly to get rid of the tears. Suddenly, the ground gave beneath her and she fell forward. She stuck her feet out and landed hard. A sickening sound filled the hole she was in and she dropped her books, grabbing onto her ankle in agonizing pain. She looked up at the sky, as if asking for guidance from above. _Why does today have to be today?_ She thought. Feeling dirt fall on her head and down the back of her shirt, she looked up and watched in amusement (despite the pain in her ankle) as Draco flung his arms around like windmills, trying to keep himself balanced so he wouldn't fall into the hole below. Getting his footing, he called down, "Granger?"

Tears prickled at her face as she tried to control herself, but the pain that thundered inside her was slowly taking her over and she breathed in harshly, a tear falling. A sob tried to escape her mouth and she quickly strangled it in her throat. "Granger!" he called again. "Answer me!"

"I'm here, you git," she snapped up at him. Using her voice had given the sob a way to escape and she covered her mouth, crying silently. Holding now with one hand around her ankle, she hunched over, silently hoping that she could stop crying. Falling and sliding rocks caught her attention and she watched as Draco let himself slide down into the pit, forgetting about his 100-galleon clothing and crawled to her. She pulled away as he tried to touch her. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said quietly.

"Go _away_, Malfoy! _You're_ the reason why I'm here in the first place. I'm tired. There's a stupid ball tonight. I'm supposed to be with Harry and Ron and I don't care if they're with their blond bimbos! They wanted to talk with me! And we were supposed to be sharing butterbeers and having a good time. I'm not supposed to be stuck in some muddy hole with _you_ of all people!" she sobbed. Another tear fell from her eyes and still she did not let a moan escape her lips. He looked at her ankle and removed her shoe. She didn't protest, just watched as his cold fingers touched her ankle and she hissed through her teeth in pain. "That hurts! Merlin! Just leave me alone!"

Draco stood up and left her in the hole. Hermione continued to cry. She was really alone now. Here she was, muddy and in pain and no one would find her.

"Come on. Can you stand?" a voice asked her in the dim light. She looked startled up into beautiful grey eyes. He looked down at her, his toes lightly scrapping against the dirt as his broom hovered next to her. She shook her head, whimpering, "It hurts t-too much."

Draco looked at her with pitying eyes that completely flabbergasted her. Draco took of his long, expensive and yet comfortable Slytherin cloak and wrapped her in it. Next, he picked her up in his arms, carrying her to his broom. If Hermione could die of shock, this would have been the perfect time.

"Merlin, Granger, don't you eat anything?" he remarked and she let out a pained chuckle. He flung one leg over the side of the broom and getting them settled down, he kicked off the ground. With one arm holding her and keeping her balanced on the broom, he used his other hand to guide the broom out of the hole.

"My books…" she said.

"I got them. I shrunk them for you," he informed her and then instructed, "Hold on tight."

They shot upwards and she gripped onto his shirt, curling closer to his body to protect herself against the harsh wind. She silently looked at the scenery around them and let out a small gasp, biting her lip in pain as her ankle pounding in pain. He looked down at her, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just so beautiful up here," she said quickly. And then she bit her lip, as if in pain. He looked down at her accusingly and she shrugged sheepishly, "So maybe my ankle really hurts."

The wind had applied unnecessary pressure to her ankle, causing it to throb. Draco slowed down, relieving the pain some. "Sorry," he said.

She was silent and continued to look at the trees that formed a green sea below them. "It is really beautiful up here though. I understand now why Harry and Ron love flying so much."

"Haven't you ever flown before?" he asked surprised.

"No. I was too scared. There was this one time in Madam Hooch's class. But I only went as high as five feet. I was scared of heights. Harry and Ron both offered me once to take me flying, but I never really wanted to."

"Is it as bad as you thought it would be?" he asked.

"No. It's actually quite nice," she stated. After thinking for a second, she asked, "Is it fun playing Quidditch?"

"Not as peaceful. It's more stressing than anything else. But Quidditch…it's like any sport. You love it or you don't."

"It looks extremely dangerous."

"Anything is dangerous. But then it wouldn't be fun if there wasn't some type of risk. What would be the point of playing without the risk of getting hurt? Playing your heart out, and getting hurt in the process makes you feel as if you did something important, even if you don't win…occasionally…" _Only if your team mates won't yell at you and beat the crap out of you if you're the reason why you lost the game for everyone_, Draco added silently to himself, recalling disastrous games.

"You love flying, don't you, Malfoy?" she observed.

"I do. I've been flying since I was a little boy. I always wanted to be on a Quidditch team. But I don't think that'll happen. I'm not as good as Potter." Hermione again would have picked this moment to die from shock. Did Draco Malfoy admit that Harry Potter was _better_ than him? She shook her head.

"What?" he asked, a small curious smile forming on his face.

"I swear, the pain must be making me hallucinate. You just admitted that Harry's better than you. I don't know which one of us is injured now…"

"Ha ha, Granger. Nearly fell off my broom on that one," he said sarcastically. They sat in silence for a couple moments. Noticing that she wasn't moving, he looked down at her and said, "Granger?"

She didn't make a sound. Stopping the broom, he pulled her away from him to look at her. He shook her lightly and said in a panicked voice, "Granger?"

"Hm?" she hummed, tiredly opening her eyes. "What?"

"Uh…nothing," he said, feeling very stupid with himself. Hermione settled back against his chest and curled into him. His heart speeded up. He never had a feeling like this before. He felt alive. He smiled down at her, a warmth spreading through him. With his one arm, he held her tightly to him and rested his lips against her head, breathing in her scent. She smelled so good…How many times had he imagined this? It was what he imagined it would be, yet there was something that made it so different. He didn't care. All he knew was that Hermione Granger was cuddled against his chest (He smirked as she tugged at his shirt and buried her head deeper into his silk top) and he was flying her to Hogwarts. If her ankle wasn't twice the size it should have been he would have gone slower and a round-about way in getting to Hogwarts. However, he enjoyed every second he shared with her.

With that, he continued to fly to Hogwarts that seemed to grow bigger and bigger with each passing second. He gently took her to the infamous Hospital Wing, calling for Madame Pomfrey. She hobbled over to him, ordering him to place her on one of the beds, which he did reluctantly. He stood by her side, longing to hold her in his arms again but refrained from doing so. The old nurse hobbled over to them, handed him a vile and told him to pour it down her throat. Titling back her delicate head, he let the purple liquid slide down into her lips. He wondered if his tongue could slid as easily into her mouth as that liquid did…Draco mentally slapped himself for catching himself thinking of such things, _especially_ in _public_.

With a fancy flick of her wand, Madame Pomfrey tapped the swelled ankle and Draco watched, as the swollen skin seemed to deflate slowly. He wondered why it was taking so long to get back to normal. "Now when she comes around, " the old nurse warned while cleaning her hands, "She may not be in her right mind. Ankles are one of the hardest parts of the bodies to heal properly, so the potion numbs the pain. But it does have its side affects."

"Can I take her to her room?" Draco asked, trying to find an excuse to pick her small figure up again.

The nurse pursed her lips, thinking and glancing at Draco, to her patient and back to Draco again. "Well," she said, thinking quickly. She looked at the blond haired boy. He didn't beg her as some others had done before. His face was cool and assured, as was his posture. Despite what she had heard of the boy and experienced herself, something caught her attention and she found herself nodding her head in approval, "I guess. Remember, her foot must be elevated and she can not put **any** pressure on it whatsoever. It won't take long, maybe a couple hours, three at most."

He nodded his head and gentle and swiftly, as if she weighed nothing but air, picked her up and carried her out of the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey watched in amusement, her eyes holding a twinkle that challenged Dumbledore's. _This whole Valentine atmosphere has definitely caused changes in our school_, she mused quietly to herself before returning to two patients who were complaining of stomachs aches ("I must tell Dumbledore to switch that painting. All these unnecessary sweets will be the death of these children!" she thought angrily, purposefully pushing aside the memories of her own past experiences of midnight strolls to the ticklish pear and stomach aches afterwards).

* * *

Draco swept down the hall. He looked down at Hermione as she let out a small groan. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. "What are you doing?" she asked in a dull voice. Her eyes were slightly glazed and her head titled back as if her body was made of soggy noodles.

"I'm talking you to your room," he told her and continued to watch her.

"Oh," she sighed, accenting the word by making a large O shape with her mouth. She puckered her lips out and then pulled them back so that they were covering her teeth, closing her mouth. Her head rolled to look back at him and she lifted a hand up, touching his hair. He tensed under her touch and looked down at her. She didn't smile but held a curious, pondering look on her face as she titled her head to the side.

"I wonder…" she said and mumbled something that even Draco's sharp ears didn't catch.

"What?" he asked, ashamed at hearing his voice crack as he spoke and surprised of his curiosity. He automatically leaned his head down to her better, encouraging her to repeat what she said.

"I said…" she said in a regular voice before dropping into a whisper, "I wonder what you'd taste like in chocolate." Her face had came fairly close to his and she flickered out her tongue to lick his cheek.

He snapped his head back. To say that Draco was startled would be saying the least. Died of shock would perhaps explain his composure at that moment. Did Hermione Granger say what he just thought she said? With wide, grey eyes he looked down at her and she giggled, biting her lip seductively, and whispered with a lisp, "Justh a questin."

She leaned her head in and closed her eyes. The next moment he looked at her, she was sleeping peacefully. Draco shook his head and laughed out loud. Hermione Granger had never ceased to surprise him.

* * *

****

**A/N**: Two out of the three done! Again, I edited this one, tried to find little typos and stuff. And I was trying to use the quick edit on fanfiction(dot)net and it didn't work that well. So if you find words crunched together when they should be spaced, PLEASE tell me! Thank you! And please, be kind and review!


	3. A Rose for Every Wrong

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, I don't own. Annoying, this is. Taken over my speaking ability, Yoda has.

Note: stressed words and thoughts are _italicized_. Because that's just how I write…

Couple: Still Draco and Hermione

Author: **Pensive Puddles **

**A Rose for Every Wrong**

_Valentine's Day and the Day After: A Rose for Every Wrong_

Hermione awoke in her bed. Looking up at the covered canopy above her, something caught her eye. Looking over, she saw Draco sleeping in a chair, his head using his folded arms as a pillow on her bed. She smiled down at him. His face looked so peaceful, slightly covered by a couple strands of his blond hair. For some unknown reason, her hand was drawn to his face and she pulled the extra strands away from his face. She touched his cheek. _So soft!_

He stirred under her touch and she pulled her hand back quickly. Slowly, he opened his eyes to reveal the gray orbs beneath. "You're awake."

"Yeah. How long have I been out?" she said, looking at her ankle that was perfectly normal now.

"Couple hours. Not long," he sighed, stretching. "How do you feel?"

"OK, I guess," she replied.

A smirk covered his face and his eyes shined in amusement as he snickered, "Well, you should be after what you did to me."

Surprised, she raised her eyebrows, slightly nervous at what could have happened, "What?"

"Oh…" he paused for dramatic effect and continued quickly, "Just asked what I would taste like in chocolate and then preceded to lick my face."

An appalled as well as embarrassed expression flooded Hermione's face, letting herself be caught with her mouth hanging open in disbelief. "I did _no_ such thing!" she denied.

"Unfortunately for you dignity, you did. And may I say, Granger, I have never had such a seductive girl do that to me before," he praised as he smirked. She opened and closed her mouth, trying to defend herself but too speechless to say anything. Draco took advantage of the situation. "If you want another go, Granger, you might have to beg me for it. That was just a free-be."

He caught the pillow that she had flung at him. However, as much as Hermione should have been disgusted at his foul behavior, she couldn't help but let a smile cover her face. And that smile soon caused her to remember what he had said, which made her laugh quietly at first and then hysterically.

"I…I said that?" she asked between laughter.

"Yes, you did. If you want a visual, I can steal Professor Snape's Pensieve and show you. Hell, _I'd_ like to see that scene again."

"Merlin, Malfoy! Are you admitting that you were turned on?" she smiled. He rolled his eyes, "In you you're dreams, Granger. Only in your dreams."

A knock at the portrait door called their attention away and they both looked at the door. Draco turned to her, "It's probably Potter and Weasley."

"Tell them I'm sleeping," Hermione grumbled and fell back into her pillows. "I'll see them at the Ball."

"You're still going to that thing?" he asked surprised.

"Well, my ankle is better and I was one of the ones who planned it. And being Head Girl, it's my duty and yours, being Head Boy to be at the Balls and Banquets that are held," Hermione stated as if reading out of a book. Draco shook his head in disbelief and left to the portrait.

"Let us see her, Malfoy!" Hermione heard Ron command.

"Malfoy, we've been here once before. Let us see her!" Harry demanded.

"You can come here as many times as you want for all I care. But I'm not letting you see her because she's sleeping, although I don't know how she can be since you two imbeciles are screaming at the top of your lungs," Draco snapped. "Now get lost!" Hermione smiled as she heard the portrait door slam shut and the muffled protests of Harry and Ron.

She saw Draco pass her doorway and she called out to him after a slight pause, "Draco…"

He stopped in the doorway and leaned on the doorframe. "Hm?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"Thank you," she smiled. An immediate reaction made him smile back and he nodded, "You're welcome…Hermione."

Draco closed the door, trapping a sleeping girl with a smile on her face in a large, red bed. When he couldn't see her anymore, he let another smile grace his lips and he whispered again the name he had longed to whisper out loud, "Hermione…"

* * *

"Only an hour to go," she sighed happily, yet exhaustedly. Her shoes were killing her feet and weren't doing any favors for her wounded ankle. She longed to lie in the Head's gigantic bathtub filled with hot water and huge bubbles. The Valentine's Ball, in her opinion, had gone fairly well. It had started off slightly uncomfortable, as the guys stayed on one side of the room and the girls on the other, but after Dumbledore introduced the band and they started playing music, people flooded to the dance floor. Most people had stayed and a few of the couples sneaked their way out of the Great Hall to 'talk' with each other.

_I should get the Draco and tell him we have to patrol soon, _she thought silently. Leaving her comfortable chair, she made her way quietly to the dance floor, squeezing her way in-between people, trying to find the one person she needed to talk to.

Hermione spotted the familiar, pale blond hair and tall figure of her Head Partner and she started walking towards him. Suddenly, a pair of arms trapped her and she twisted around to look at her captor. Harry looked down at her, a smile on his face. "Dance with me, Hermione."

"Harry…I don't know…" she said at first. He chuckled and ignored her protests. He swept her away and placed one hand on her hip, the other holding her hand. Even with heels on, it was hard for Hermione to place her free hand comfortably on Harry's shoulders. It seemed all the boys in Seventh Year had sprouted unexpectedly.

"You look beautiful tonight," he leaned down and murmured in her ear. She blushed. Guys could be so sweet sometimes. She chuckled, "You're just saying that."

"No, I'm not," he said firmly. She pulled away and looked into his serious green eyes. "I'm not joking around, Hermione. Why can't you just admit that you're pretty?"

"Harry…please stop," she laughed. She smiled under his glare. "Fine. Just for tonight. Can't let that go to my head…"

She heard him snort above her and she ignored it. She knew what her physical features stood in the realm of males, and it was near the bottom, maybe but _highly_ unlikely close to the middle. She looked over and say Draco covered in Pansy. If they were any closer…Hermione shrugged. No point in accusing Draco of anything; he _was_ dancing with Pansy Parkinson. She admired how handsome Draco looked that night. He was dressed all in black, and his dance partner at that moment, was dressed in a deep, red rose dress that clung to her curves and accented her features. Hermione sighed. If only she could be Pansy for just a second…

_Woah! Where'd **that** come from? _She thought._ I shouldn't be jealous of her, **especially** her. Besides, what does Draco have that Harry doesn't?…besides exquisite charm, natural grace, silky blond hair, piercing gray eyes…stop! Just look away from him and pay attention to Harry. _Hermione did as her mind told her and tried with all her might to stop thinking of the gray-eyed man dancing just a few feet away.

She thought. Hermione did as her mind told her and tried with all her might to stop thinking of the gray-eyed man dancing just a few feet away.

The song came to an end and slowly she and Harry parted. "Thank you," she smiled and he smiled in return, giving her a small bow. Dumbledore's voice filled the dance floor, "This will be the last slow song for the night."

Hermione sighed, "Only one more song and then this day will be over."

Someone tapped her shoulder as the music started and Hermione turned around, and was engulfed in black. She looked up at the boy, a quizzical expression on her face. "Malfoy?"

"Let go of her, Malfoy. I'm going to dance with her," an angry redhead snarled, taking a hold on Hermione's arm. Draco looked coldly at Ron, a small frown on his Greek features.

"Unfortunately, Weasel, Dumbledore said that the Head Boy and Head Girl had to share a dance before the night was over, or we'd have to clean this whole mess up ourselves, and I for one, don't want to be hear till dawn cleaning up your filth. Maybe you should have tried to actually do school work instead of depending on Granger for good grades. Then perhaps you would have made Head Boy…although I _highly_ doubt it…" he sneered and swept Hermione away, leaving a red faced Ron standing in the middle of the dance floor. A pretty blond grabbed him and he soon forgot his encounter with Draco and Hermione.

Hermione felt strong arms touch her hips and she looked up at Draco. A calm, expressing was on his face and a victorious gleam in his eyes. With narrow, suspicious eyes, she asked, "Did Dumbledore really tell you to dance with me?"

He looked down at her and smirked, "Not with actual words…but he did motioned me over in your direction with his eyes…although he could have been looking at Professor McGonagall who was behind me…"

The two students shuddered at the thought of their two Professors together. She smiled and asked sarcastically, "So you asked me out of the goodness of your heart?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Why can't I ask someone if I want to dance with them?"

"Because you've been practically glued to Pansy this whole night," she stated.

He smirked, "First of all, _Parkinson_ was glued to _me_, and second, I'm amused to see you're taking notes on every movement I make."

She rolled her eyes and put her hands on his shoulders. "Besides," Draco said, leaning down so he could just talk to her specifically (and also to make her wrap her arms more around his neck), "Dancing with a girl who sticks to you like glue can get very tiresome after a while."

"I wouldn't know," Hermione informed him and continued to dance to the music. Draco grew silent after that. The warmth of the room and the slow music, along with the twinkling bewitched ceiling above their heads, made her eye lids grow heavy and she found herself leaning into him, resting her head against his neck. She could feel his pulse beat in his neck and she wondered if it should have been beating as fast as it was going. She ignored it and wrapped her arms more around his neck to get into a more comfortable position. Draco automatically held her tighter around the waist. Hermione noticed smugly that both of Draco's hands were placed quite low down her hips, unlike Harry's gentlemanly hands. And surprisingly, Hermione didn't mind at all. He held her closer and she did not object.

The opened their eyes to see the whole school looking at them with accusing, shocked and awed eyes. Hermione embarrassingly realized that she and Draco had been dancing incredibly close to no music at all. Both fiercely blushed and pulled away quickly from each other. The eyes of the students quickly avoided them, although among the peering crowd, there were a few pairs who still stared intently on them. Draco and Hermione avoid as much contact as possible. Hermione walked away, her face still hot at letting herself get caught in such a situation.

She finally looked over at her shoulder and say Draco watching her. She motioned to the clock and held up five fingers to signal five minuets before they had to scout for people who weren't in their beds.

"You two go to bed. I have to make a quick patrol around the school before I get to bed. I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast," Hermione said and turned to leave.

As she was making her way out of the nearly deserted Great Hall, a hand stopped her and pulled her into the corner. Startled, she looked at the person and looked at Ginny Weasley. "Ginny…what's wrong?" she asked concerned at seeing her puffy, red eyes.

"Hermione…" her voice choked and she just hurled herself into her arms. Surprised at her friend's suddenly clingingness, she asked what was wrong. "It's Blaise…the…the whole thing…c-cards and f-flowers was all a b-b-bet!"

"Ginny! I…I'm sorry!" Hermione said, unsure of what else to say. She never had been a situation like Ginny's and for once, Hermione was at lose on what to do. Casting pitying eyes on Ginny, Hermione did the only thing that seemed right; she pulled the girl close to her and let her cry.

"He told me on the dance floor, when I asked for a dance. He told me and laughed. He _laughed_ at me! It was just a couple galleons and they betted that he could get me to fall in love with him by tonight. Shows what a fool I've been…to think that someone like him could actually love me…" Ginny sighed into Hermione's dress. The older girls' eyes hardened.

"Don't think that way, Ginny. You're so beautiful. And if scum like him can not see it, then you're too good for him. Besides, I've never really liked Blaise. He's a stupid git." She let out an angry growl from the back of her throat. "When I get my hands on him, I'll hex him so bad…"

Ginny was still crying and Hermione rubbed her back and whispered comforting things which usually involved Blaise in agonizing pain and walked Ginny to the Gryffindor room. Slowly, Ginny's tears ceased to fall and she smiled in gratitude at Hermione before disappearing into the room. Hermione sighed at the poor girl and turned to leave to scout with Draco. Draco! She had completely forgot! Finding it difficult to run with high heels, she ripped them off her feet and dashed down the halls, making her way to Draco who was near the Great Hall entrance.

She rounded the corner and thundered down the hall. She saw his tall figure leaning against the wall, arms crossed. He glared at her disapprovingly as she came to a sudden halt in front of him. "Could you take any longer?" he asked sarcastically. Hermione glanced at her watch, discovering she was only three minuets later than expected. Leave it to Malfoy to exaggerate little things like that. It reminded her of the time Buckbeak scrapped his arm, barely causing him to bleed. Hermione could still his whimpering of "I'm dying! I'm dying!"

She snorted very unlady-like at the memory. Draco glared at her. Hermione only smiled sweetly up at him…too sweetly that he looked at her in accusing suspicion.

"Let's get this over with," he snapped, ignoring her smile and began walking down the halls. Hermione sighed and followed. The two were silent as they patrolled down the quiet halls. After finding two people huddled in a broom closet and deducting points from Ravenclaw, they finally came to the Great Hall again.

"I don't want to go to bed just yet," Hermione said. She wasn't really directing the comment to Draco, but he seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"Maybe we should patrol outside, just in case?" he suggested. She nodded.

The air outside was crisp and sharp. The moon was bright in the dark sky and she wondered how night could be so beautiful. The trees appeared fake and the lake was as clear and flat as glass. So perfectly calm that it would be a sin for it to be disturbed. Draco held out his wand and fired a spell into a large bush. There was a sharp squeak and the two culprits crawled out.

"Ten points each from Slytherin," Hermione said in a monotone and motioned for them to get inside. The younger students looked over the shoulder at the two Head's and made faces at them, but Draco caught them in the act, and in a clear voice, "Another ten each. Thirty points in one night…respect your elders, you twits."

They continued to walk around and found no one else on the grounds, surprisingly. Draco sat down on the dew-covered grass and motioned for her to sit next to him. She looked down at him for a second before sitting. She sighed and looked at the sky. Draco watched as the loose strands of hair that had escaped from the pile on top of her head fell behind her shoulders and blew with the gentle wind. She shuddered at the breeze and Draco unclasped his cloak, and being the gentleman he was trained to be, draped it over her shoulders. He clasped the front for her and said, "There you go."

Hermione touched the soft cloth lightly, deeply surprised at Draco's gentlemanly behavior. She looked up at him with her warm, brown eyes that made him caught his breath. He looked at her lips that held a small shine in them from the moonlight. They looked so tempting, as if daring him to mess the perfect glaze. He leaned his head down slowly, stopping for a second, his mind yelling at him to think of what he was doing. Her eyes were already closed, already expecting the kiss. She had such a pretty face…

Draco closed his eyes and leaned forward, his lips touching hers gently. It was a strange filling that filled Draco, a feeling he found hard to compare. All he knew was that warmth filled his gut that rose and seemed to spread out throughout his body, filling the bottom of his toes to the tips of his perfect blond hair. His gut twisted inside painfully, and yet it felt good. He pulled back, his lips still hovering dangerously close to hers.

She sighed and looked up at him, her eyes covered in a starry haze. It was a sight Draco had never seen, and he was proud to know that he was the cause of it. But at that moment, he didn't care. All he wanted was to feel warm again. He leaned in again, urgently this time and pressed his lips slightly harder against her lips. He held himself back. She wasn't like any other girl and he wasn't going to treat her like he did with other girls. His hand held the back of her head and pushed her closer. It was a sweet, long kiss, one that Draco had never experienced in his entire life.

Pulling back, he looked at her, looking at her hazy eyes. She smiled slightly, seemingly pleased. He smirked back. She reached up, hesitantly and after an agonizing slow moment, she finally touched his face, resting a palm against his cheek. He leaned into her hand, never once taking his gaze off her. She caressed his face and then moved to run her fingers through his hair. Surpassing him, she pulled his head towards her and kissed him with such passion, it swept him away.

Draco didn't know how many minuets had passed. All he knew was that he was in complete bliss. Her small fingers where playing in his hair, clutching long strands and twirling and twisting them. She let him kiss her throat and nibble her neck. She let him run his fingers through her wavy hair that had come loose from the bun on top of her head. She let him do whatever she wanted him to do. She wasn't quite as touchy as him, but Draco didn't care. Desire's flame lit their blood on fire, burning them into a fiery haze of passion. It was a moment he would never have imagined himself in, and he wondered if she was thinking the same thing.

A cat hissed nearby and the two broke apart, looking at the ginger cat that was seated on a rock near by. "Crookshanks…" Hermione growled. The cat had somehow escaped from the Head's Room. Although upset with the fact that the stupid cat disturbed the moment, Draco was slightly pleased that Hermione seemed angry at the cat as well.

Suddenly, the realization of what they had just been doing flooded over them and both their faces flushed a violent red, pulling away. Draco jumped to his feet, brushing grass off him. Extending a hand so she could get up, they silently and awkwardly walked back to the castle, avoiding all eye contact. When they had reached their rooms, they finally took the chance to look at each other.

"Here," she said quietly, unclasping the robe and handing the soft fabric back to its master. Draco took it, noticing in disgust that his hands were shaking as they brushed against hers. He looked down at her, looking at her messy hair that tumbled around her face, her soft, tired complexion. Draco leaned in to kiss her again. _Just a goodnight kiss…that's all,_ Draco told himself. He could almost taste the sugar lip-gloss when she pulled away, out of his reach.

"Good night, Draco," she said quickly before vanishing into her room. Blushing at being left out in front of her room and letting her do that, he slid into his own room. Too tired to change into his pajamas, Draco slipped off his shirt and pants, and crawled into bed only in his boxers. He lay with his eyes closed, unconsciously licking his lips and tasting the faint remains of her lips, disappointment making his chest feel heavy.

He had gone too fast. He could practically feel the restlessness between them when they had stood outside her room. Her face had still been pink from embarrassment. And those lips! They were red, plump from their bruising kisses. And they called to him, begging for relief with just a touch of his own. And he followed his own desire, not taking her into consideration. He slammed his fist against his mattress in frustration. She probably thought he was a horny git like the rest of the males out there. That wasn't what he wanted her impression of him to be! And now it was all ruined, just because he couldn't control himself. She probably hated him, whatever respect or friendship they had gained was lost for sure now. Sighing unhappily, Draco rolled onto his stomach. He'd fix it, she'd see that he was different than the other guys. A plan was already formulating in his head as he distantly noticed how heavy his head felt and how the darkness was so comforting.

* * *

The day after Valentine's Day was bright. Hermione opened her eyes, immediately the memories of the previous night flooded back to her and she reddened. She sighed. He was a great kisser. He made her feel…special. Stupid to think that, she knew, but it was the truth. Is that what all the other girls felt like when they kissed him? She could only wonder. And she could only wonder what he thought of her now. She had practically thrown herself at him after he had pulled back. But it had felt so good! It had left her in just…awe. And she could only think of feeling his lips against hers, feeling his closeness. Her lips had tingled, her heart pounded, making her body move closer to him. And she thought she could control it, could control the emotions. But once she tasted him again, there was no turning back. She had let herself go. And now, he probably thought she was just another of those eager girls. That's not who she was. Now he had the wrong impression of her, and he'd back away from their little friendship, and maybe, just maybe he'd joke about it with his friends and inform his friends that Hermione Granger was easy.

And how would she explain it to Harry and Ron when the rumors reached their ears? What would happen? And her reputation! The teachers would hear and her grades would surely fall. But the real problem was her best friends. Already, one problem was that they were both boys who looked over her like older brothers, which was both sweet and aggravating at the same time but the second, bigger problem, was the fact that she had snogged their worst enemy. She covered her face with her hands and let out a muffled groan of irritation.

Rolling out of bed, she looked around her room. A rose caught her attention. It was a simple white rose with petals perfectly white and soft. She smelt it and smiled. She looked around for a card and found none. Too tired to think on whom it was from although it probably was obvious, she walked to the bathroom that was connected to her room as was it connected to Draco. The room was still humid, signifying that it had been occupied only moments before.

She tried not to think of him, especially as she slid into the shower and washed her hair, but her mind constantly thought of the events of the night before with the dance, and then the kiss. A warm feeling filled her stomach and her heart tightened when she thought of him.

When she stepped out of the shower, a towel wrapped around her, her eyes met another rose, this time red. It was just as beautiful and perfect as the white one, and Hermione grinned in awe. She was still admiring the rose when she walked back into her room. Her feet felt something other than the carpet and she looked down and around her room. The red rose fell from her limp hands.

Hermione stared wide-eyed at her room that was decorated in myriad colors of roses. Roses of all colors, the classic red, white, pink and yellow and then there were other colors of roses she had never seen before. Blue roses, silver roses, purple roses…the colors were endless and they did not clash with each other. Her floor and room where littered with white rose petals. In white, delicately cut paper, a card was propped on her all ready made bed that was smothered with petals. She picked it up and opened the flap. In green, elegant flowing letters, it read: _I'm sorry if you were offended the night before, but I do not regret anything. A rose for every wrong thing I did towards you this year, since Hogwarts would be decorated in roses if it was since the day I met you._

She reread it several times, thoughts flashing through her mind. The note was so poetic, so apologetic. He was playing with her heart, wasn't he? Kissing her last night had been the final step. All he wanted now was for her to tell him how much she cared about him, finally wrapping herself firmly in his web, and then laugh about it in her face, just like Blaise did to tangled Ginny. Slipping on the first things that her hand touched which was a short, spaghetti strap tang top and short bed time shorts, she rushed out of her room. She found him sitting near the fireplace, already dressed for school and gazing pensively into the fire. He looked up when she called, "Draco?"

He watched as she came towards him, her hair wet and tangled. He had never seen her so…unmodest before that he gazed at her nicely shaped legs and bare skin hungrily. She stopped in front of him with hard, suspicious eyes and he swallowed nervously. He had slight hopes that she would run out of the room and jump into his arms. It would have been a nice memory…

"Is this a joke? A bet like Ginny's?" she demanded coldly, throwing the card and one of the colored roses at him. Draco looked at her, surprised. He shook his head, "Nothing of the sort."

"Then why did you do that?" she asked, taking a step closer, the doubt slowly fading from her eyes. He could feel the heat of her body, the smell of her apple shampoo so potent he was almost too dazed to say anything. He looked at her and said, "Because I wanted to." _Because I love you_…he longed to say instead.

She looked at him, her eyes revealing her cynical feelings. He looked at her and swallowed, angry thoughts filling his mind. "I knew you wouldn't believe me. I knew you'd think it was a joke, because that's all a Slytherin male is to you, isn't it? Just a horny boy who would do anything to get someone in bed with them," he remarked bitterly.

"No!" she said quickly, shaking her head. "Nothing like that. But you're house _is_ known for betting to get girls to fall in love with them and then breaking their hearts all for a couple of galleons."

Five words caught his attention and he glanced quickly up at her. He wouldn't lie and say that his house was known for betting on playing with the hearts of girls, but they never actually meant for the girl to fall in _love_ with them, only to like them and kiss them. He asked quickly, his hopes rising, "Fall in love? Did you fall in love with me?"

Hermione opened her mouth, wanting to say something but couldn't think of anything. She bit her lip. Was that why she felt jealous whenever she saw him talking to any girl? Was love the reason why she felt so odd whenever she saw him? Was that the reason for the aching heart pains when he was away, like she couldn't breath and then the suffocating feeling whenever he was near? Was she, Hermione Mudblood Granger, in love with Draco Pureblood Malfoy? She avoided his eyes, looking away. Draco reach down and took her face in his hands, turning it to him and making her look straight into his eyes. "Do you love me?"

Hermione faltered under his gray gaze and she nodded in defeated. Draco smiled a true genuine smile. He leaned down and whispered truthfully in her ear, "I love you too. That's why I did it."

Hermione looked at him, his last comment taking a second longer to register. She smiled, showing off her straight, white teeth and he did the same. Hermione reached up to hug him and he embraced her, holding her close. "I love you, Hermione Granger."

She pulled away to look at his face, and she leaned in close, kissing him and telling him through that kiss that she loved him too. It was a sweet, pure kiss. There was no flaming desire, nor anything that disturbed it. It was a kiss that two lovers share when they truly love each other.

Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey smiled over their early morning tea as the knight who guarded their doorway told them of the recent news of the Gryffindor and Slytherin. Dumbledore turned to the old nurse, "And who says romance blossoms most on Valentine's Day?"

**THE END**

**A/N**: Yes! This is the last and final chapter! OK… did that really suck as much as I think it did :sees the unanimous agreement:sighs: That's what I thought…so, if you're going to be really honest, the honest thing to do would be to put me out of my misery and review and flame me….harshly. Burn me to a crisp. Douse me in oil and light a match, shove me in a furnace, tar and feather me…hmm…these torture ideas are getting a little away from the whole point of flaming….

Anywhoo! There it is! Another sappy, fluffy fic written by me. Tell me what you think in a review…ah! Such a lovely word: REVIEW…I could say that forever…review review review review review review review now review…:invisible hand slaps pensive puddles out of her stupid and pointless chanting:

Ahem! Well…:cough: in case you haven't read anything else by me, go and check out some of my other works, such as _Fault_ and _Weep Not_, which are both angst and lack reviews…and then if you want another romance thingy with a 'nice' ending :dodges rotten fruit tossed from others who have read it, go and check out _Behind the Masks_.

FYI new story that I _just_ (as is RIGHT NOW) put up: _A Long Awaited Engagement_

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